In striking contrast to most industrialized nations, New Zealand recognized the potentially deleterious effects of protracted junior doctor work hours over twenty years ago. At that time, junior doctors in New Zealand were limited to a maximum of 72 hours per week and 16 hours of consecutive work per shift by a collective agreement between the NZRDA and the District Health Boards. More recently, the goal or achieving even shorter work hours has been set; the current Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA) specifies that the employers and union agree that both parties should work towards a 60 hour work week limit.
 
Per the 2005-2006 MECA, New Zealand junior doctors’ major work limits are as follows:

• Junior doctors may work no more than 72 hours per week, and a maximum of 60 hours per week is officially endorsed as a desirable goal;
• Junior doctors may work no more than 16 hours per day, nor may they work more than 16 consecutive hours;
• Periods of normal scheduled duty shall not be less than 8 hours;
• Only one period of scheduled duty shall be worked in any day;
• A minimum of 8 hours off between duty periods is required;
• No more than 12 days in a row may be worked without a 48-hour rest;
• Employees shall have every second weekend free of duty;
• Junior doctors shall work no more than 2 “long days” (i.e., greater than 10 hours) in 7;
• A minimum of 2+ days off is required after working 5 nights in a row;
• Shift work is only permitted in the ER or ICU, other than designated night shifts.